Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Exclusive! Adris & Hallelujah Get Intimate with SWBD

In the YA follow-up to my last novel, an adult historical entitled Enraptured, headstrong seventeen year old Hallelujah Farrington sees her life plummeting straight for the virtual prison of genteel society's strict expectations: Find a wealthy husband, start a family, and live out the rest of her days in fashionable boredom. That is, until futuristic time-traveler Adris Crane sweeps her across the globe on a secret journey, beyond the boundaries of space and time, and into a world of unparalleled adventure.

Joining us today are the aforementioned Hallelujah and Adris from Hallelujah and the Rowan Stone: The Time Travelers' Chronicles Book One.

SWBD: Good morning, you two. Thanks for agreeing to the interview, especially since you're so busy these days.

HALLELUJAH: And a good morning to you, as well, ma'am. We are most honored.

ADRIS: [murmurs incoherently]

SWBD: You seem a little on edge, Mr. Crane. Is the couch comfortable enough?

ADRIS: The couch? Yeah, it's fine. [shifts, leans back, props one ankle on knee opposite] Just been a while since I've seen something this new, that's all.

HALLELUJAH: It is a wondrous work of craftsmanship, indeed. Why, I cannot imagine when last I saw a piece of furniture so... so... [hesitates] different. What is it called?

SWBD: A love seat. The material is leather.

HALLELUJAH: Oh... [blushes] Oh, my. A most fascinating name for a sofa. My papa has a similar model in his personal office, though I do not believe the cushion is quite this... this, ah... hmm...

SWBD: Well, that was the idea, actually. Getting you and Adris into an intimate setting for the sake of a more revealing interview, just as we discussed. That's still okay, right?

ADRIS: [shrugs, throws an arm over the back of the couch] Fine by me. Hallie?

HALLELUJAH: Of course!

SWBD: Then, let's get down to business, shall we? Adris, you mentioned it's been a while since you've seen something this new. Do factories and/or manufacturers of various goods not exist where you live?

ADRIS: Oh, we have factories. They just don't make couches.

SWBD: What do they make?

ADRIS: Weapons.

SWBD: Sounds dangerous. Doesn't your government have some sort of policy on weapon control, something of that nature?

ADRIS: [laughs] Government? Yeah, right. Forget your comfortable twenty-first century Starbucks-lovin' U-S-of-A, sweetheart. Elected president, voting, and all that powder puff fantasy rigmarole. In Twelve Cities, we have the Counsel, and they uphold laws made almost a century ago by the founding fathers. Break any of 'em and you're dead. It's as simple as that.

SWBD: That's a brutal way of life. I have to ask: What are the women like?

ADRIS: What few women mingle about our primarily male-driven society either work in the weapon, chemical warfare, or clockwork factories. Assembly line type stuff. Old school.

HALLELUJAH: Old school?

ADRIS: Old-fashioned. Out of style.

HALLELUJAH: Like Grecian gowns?

September 1807 La Belle Assemblee

ADRIS: [chuckles] Not exactly. [to SWBD] She's a bit behind on local lingo, if you know what I mean. I try and teach her as much as I can, but it's kind of an "as we go" type thing.

HALLELUJAH: [brightens] But I am a fast learner.

ADRIS: That, you are.

SWBD: Speaking of which, Hallie... Do you mind if I call you Hallie?

HALLELUJAH: [nods vigorously] Please do! All my closest acquaintances refer to me as thus, and I should like to imagine us as rather close, do you not think?

SWBD: I should hope so. All right, then, Hallie. What went through your mind when Adris first took you through time? What did it feel like? Were you frightened? Thrilled? Did you get sick?

HALLIE: Ah, well, let me see... [holds up five fingers & begins ticking off one by one] "Oh my merciful heavens, I cannot believe I am really traveling into the future." Falling. Very. Most definitely. Thankfully, no, but Adris did warn me it could happen, and God's truth, I worried over casting up my accounts throughout our entire short stay in the Great City.

ADRIS: You were a trooper.

HALLIE: Why, what a terrible thing to say, Adris Crane! I think I behaved quite well, thank you very much!

SWBD: I think he meant that as a compliment.

ADRIS: [lowers voice conspiratorially] See what I mean?

HALLIE: Do not speak about me as if I am not present. It is most rude. Not to mention ungentlemanly.

ADRIS: Sorry, Hallie.

SWBD: My apologies, Miss Farrington. I'm certain time travel can't be easy. By the by, you said, "the Great City." Where did you take her, Adris?

HALLIE: It was quite sad, actually. Devastation had consumed what must have been, at one time, a marvelous, exciting city. Much like a futuristic London, or so I imagine, though I have never been there.

SWBD: Oh? Where do you live?

HALLIE: Darlington, County Durham. [sighs] Where railroads and steam engines are all the rage, and no one speaks of anything but their investments in one or the other.

HALLIE: [shakes head] No, no. You should explain. It will make more sense coming from you.

ADRIS: Several years ago, before I was born and Mom died, Dad made a time machine. He's a scientist, you see. Dreams up all sorts of inventions, then... I don't know... [shrugs] draws up the plans, builds 'em, puts 'em through a series of tests...

SWBD: And everything he's made works?

ADRIS: Pretty much, yeah. But the time machine is exquisite. Made out of scrap metal, atomic clocks, and a whole mess of stuff I could list, but we'd be here all day and, as you mentioned earlier, we're on a tight schedule.

HALLIE: [nods] Truly, we are.

SWBD: The short version, then?

ADRIS: The time machine aligns to a wormhole Dad discovered after this huge supernova when he was, like, my age or something. Eighteen or thereabouts. When activated, it sends a signal through the atmosphere, to the wormhole, and to the external devices. All in, like, a nanosecond.

SWBD: Those sort of unions happen quite a lot in your society, do they not?

HALLIE: Too much. I want to be free. Able to do as I please, when I please. Accomplish what I aim to accomplish in the time in which I deign to accomplish it.

SWBD: I see. On that note, what do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

HALLIE: [nods toward Adris] Meeting my best friend.

SWBD: Adris?

ADRIS: Meeting Hallie was a once in a lifetime chance-happening. I stumbled upon her father's antique story in downtown Darlington, and she was standing outside, attempting to move this monstrous statue of Hebe all by herself. So, if you can imagine, here's this small-ish young woman, 5' or so, moving a sculpted piece of rock twice her size... Yeah. [smiles] That was a good day.

HALLIE: It was rather amusing, really, because when Adris tried to help me, he nearly toppled the goddess atop both of us. [laughs] We couldn't agree on which way to move her. He would go left, I would go right, and so forth.

ADRIS: We finally got it done, though, right?

HALLIE: Indeed, we did.

ADRIS: And she hasn't been able to get rid of me since. So, yeah. I'd have to say that was a pretty great accomplishment. I'm also really proud of mine and my dad's success with time travel. Let's just hope we can meet with success on this vaccine-slash-antidote.

SWBD: No doubt. Last question: What is your biggest regret?

ADRIS: That I never met my mother. She died giving me life. Dad used to talk about her all the time, but not so much anymore. I think the memory just got too painful.

SWBD: Very possible. Losing a loved one is never easy. Hallie?

HALLIE: I fear my biggest regret bears nowhere near the weight of Mrs. Crane's misfortune. However, I wish every day that I had met Adris earlier. Of a certainty there are a few... ah, how shall I put this? Circumstances? Yes. There are a few circumstances which, to my mind, could have been otherwise avoided if only we had crossed paths at a much earlier age.

SWBD: I tend to believe everything occurs in its own due time; that, as you said, paths cross when they're supposed to cross.

HALLIE: Like fate?

SWBD: Exactly like fate.

HALLIE: [smiles] I like the way you think.

Well, that wraps up our first interview for Hallelujah & the Rowan Stone! Thanks for joining me today, Adris and Hallie and, of course, YOU, gentle reader. Your continual support is always appreciated. Be sure to check back on Thursday for my exclusive interview with Mr. Henry Kinsey. Until then...

Wow, Nikki, you are just brilliant and this was a wonderful and fun post...Thinking of them as best friends does help to clarify their relationship in my mind, although that might change as they travel together??...The interview also made me wonder why Adris has not gone back in time to meet his mother??

Why, thank you, Jacqueline! I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Who knows what will happen once they really start traveling? *smile* And as far as his mother, you know you might've just spurred on a whole new future scene! To my mind, I think maybe it is something Adris has thought about (on numerous occasions, too), but perhaps he is afraid. I mean, how would he explain himself to her? Hmmm!! Good thoughts! Good thoughts!